On-site attendance obligations

How to meet onsite attendance obligations when not personally completing an installation

Section 6 of the Clean Energy Council’s Install and Supervise Guidelines For Accredited Installers states that if you aren’t physically onsite for the entire installation, you must be physically onsite for a minimum of three key stages of the installation.

They are listed in the guidelines as:

• job set up
• mid-installation check-up
• testing and commissioning.

To meet these obligations, Accredited Installers must be able to provide a record of attendance that could be requested as evidence should a request be made by the Clean Energy Regulator, a Registered Agent, the Clean Energy Council or the Electrical Safety Regulator for the site.

The CEC recommends that the Accredited Installer responsible for the installation and involved in claiming STCs record their attendance for each installation. This can be done in many ways, such as:

• time, date and geotagged pictures showing the Accredited Installer physically onsite
• similar photo functions through third-party apps like the ones that operate in the Solar Panel Validation Initiative.

The CEC recognises that each install is unique in how it is undertaken and there are contributing factors around what the three mandatory stages for physical attendance could look like. On larger jobs or jobs that take longer periods, records for mid-installation may span multiple days or even weeks.

As a result, the CEC is providing the following guidance on pictures used as evidence to record onsite attendance for each stage.

Job set up

Pictures showing the installer physically on site at the beginning of the installation. These should include:

• installer “selfies” at the letter box and meter/main switchboard before the job has commenced
• a picture showing the installer with the installation crew at a toolbox talk
• a picture showing the installer with safety equipment being installed.

Mid-installation check-up

Pictures taken halfway through the installation. These should include:

• installer selfies showing the progress of the mounting system and panel laying
• installer “selfies” at the switchboard and inverter location
• a picture or pictures showing the installer and general progress of the installation.

Testing and commissioning

Pictures taken at the completion of the installation. These should include:

• a picture or pictures of the installer and completed panel installation
• installer “selfies” at the switchboard and inverter location
• a picture showing the installer’s “run through” with the system owner or, if the system owner is not available, at the letterbox at the end of the installation.

The CEC recommends records for each installation are kept in a secure, accessible location for a period of five years. Having them stored solely on a mobile phone is not recommended.

Remember the obligation of keeping this information lays solely with the Accredited Installer signing off on the installation in relation to the claiming of STCs for the site. It may be beneficial to provide this information to any solar retailers you are working for or sub-contracting to.

Failure to provide the required information when requested may lead to the Clean Energy Regulator being unable to assess an STC claim or fail it, including having to repay money to a REC agent. Accredited Installers who make false statements of STC eligibility risk the cancellation of their CEC accreditation, the revocation of their state or territory electrical licence or civil proceedings commenced by the Clean Energy Regulator.